Houston Area Organizations Kept Information Flowing During Hurricane Ike
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During Hurricane Ike's tumultuous reign, the powerful communication tools of the PIER System greatly benefited top organizations such as the US Coast Guard, University of Houston, Fort Bend County TX, Marathon Oil, METRO Solutions, BP, Port of Houston, CB&I and more. PIER's extensive use during one of the most destructive storms in US history has not gone unnoticed. "They saved billions of dollars and an untold number of lives along the way." In the current (Winter 2009) issue of tech news magazine Texas Technology, PIER Systems is featured as a prominent example of how advanced web-based communications technology can save money and help prevent the loss of countless lives in disasters as large-scale as Hurricane Ike. Fort Bend County, TX - Public Information Center: Jeff Braun, Emergency Management coordinator of Fort Bend County, TX used PIER Systems to deliver timely, storm related info to over half a million residents. Braun and his team used PIER as a web-based communications center to share information, upload important documents, images and video, and provide reporters with information they needed. "We were sending out information at a level they had not seen before, in a way that was genuinely helpful to them." University of Houston: University of Houston used PIER Systems to send notifications to over 39,000 students about building closures and re-openings. Their PIER site also served as a platform where students and parents sent hundreds of inquiries. UH was able to quickly respond despite their small administration team. "When they would post a message to the Web site, they could simultaneously push it out to students' cell phones." Marathon Oil Corporation: Marathon Oil used their PIER Systems site, Marathon Cares (www.marathoncares.com) as a communication channel with over 26,000 employees. PIER provided Marathon the ability to release current information and supply workers with a system for updating contact information in real-time. Their site sustained over a quarter million hits within several weeks. US Coast Guard: The 8th U.S. Coast Guard District's public affairs team heavily relied on PIER to release timely updates throughout Hurricane Ike's devastation. Coastie's used PIER to post images and video from places where there was no power. They sent files via cell phone to PIER. Instead of wasting time by starting from scratch, the USCG used PIER's preformatted template structure to quickly post news stories about waterway closures and other critical information as well as send ship channel updates for maritime safety. "If automated tools like PIER can make communications more efficient and coordinated in times of crisis, there are not only practical benefits, but also intangible advances for the emergency response community regarding long-term public support." Permalink to the Texas Technology Article:
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